Data are stored on magnetic media by writing on the magnetic media using a write head. Magnetic media can be formed in any number of ways, such as tape, stripe, floppy diskette, and hard disk. It is now common, especially in disk type storage, to provide dual sided media, media capable of storage on two sides, so as to reduce storage device size.
Writing involves storing a data bit by utilizing magnetic flux to set the magnetic moment of a particular area on the magnetic media. The state of the magnetic moment or bit transition is later read, using a read head, to retrieve the stored information.
Write and read heads typically are fabricated in a merged head structure, with the write head being formed over the read head. In a typical write head structure, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,164, by Cole et al., entitled THIN FILM MAGNETIC WRITE HEAD, issued Sep. 19, 1995, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, write current is supplied to a conductor coil to generate the magnetic flux. In such a multilayer design, the conductor coil is provided with contacts. The contacts are connected by-vias and lead lines to terminal pads. Lead wires coupled to driver circuitry are connected to the terminal pads. The read head likewise is provided with contacts and terminal pads for lead wire connection to reader circuitry.
Terminal pad location is dictated by read head bias and by storage device layout. For example, the direction of write coil current flow must correspond to read head bias direction. To add to this, different manufactures of storage devices often will require different terminal pad layouts. Further, in multi-disk drives it is desirable to assemble the drives so that terminal pads and lead wires of similar head types and polarity are stacked adjacent one another. To achieve this, for example, some heads must be fabricated having terminal pads on the right hand side, while some heads must be fabricated with terminal pads on the left hand side, so that corresponding terminal pads are located on the same right/left hand side when located adjacent opposing surfaces of the media.
With conventional write heads, this requires right and left coil layouts, in particular layouts with coil contacts located on either the right or the left hand side. In some instances, due to yield variances, a head manufacture could end up with a shortage of a particular type. Thus, what is needed is a write head layout that allows terminal pads to be located on either side of the head.
Furthermore, as heads become ever smaller and cheaper an improved write head design is necessary, without increasing layout intricacy or impacting the processing time of the head.
In at least one embodiment, a thin film write head having a conductor with a coil structure having a central axis perpendicular to an air bearing surface. The conductor having a first contact centrally located at a first end of the conductor. The conductor having plurality of contacts located distal from the first contact. The plurality of contacts having at least one contact on either side of the central axis of the write head.